Stop-operating device for musical instruments.



Patented Oct. 13, 1914.

R. HOPE-JONES.

STOP OPERATING DEVICE FORy MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 26, 1911.

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rHE MORRIS PETERS CO..PH010LITHD.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

To all whom it may concern:

, UNITED; STATES `PATEIvr OFFICE.

ROBERT HOPE-JONES, OE NORTH TONAWANDA, NEW YORK, AssIoNoR To THEv RUDOLPH WURLITzER MANUFACTURING GOMPANLOF NORTH TONiiwANnA;y NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OE NEW YORK.

" STOP-OPERATING DEvIOE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Be it known that I, ROBERT HOPE-J ONES, a subject of the Kin of England, residing at North Tonawan a., ,in the county of `Niagara and State of New York, have invented ynew and useful Improvements in yStop-'Operatin kDevices for Musical Instruments, of whic the following is a specification. v n f This'invention relates to a device for operatingk or controllin the movable members of pneumatic musica instruments such, for example, as the slidesor yregisters of pipestops. ample, in an, automatic piano additional ytracker ducts are re uired for throwing them on, and off and a correspondinglywider music sheet is necessary- It is well known Lthat thedegree of expansion or contraction of such.. sheets under `atmos-y pheric changesincreasesywith their width,

and .pit is therefore desirabletomake them as narrow as possible.kv i' The object OfmyA inventionfisy the provision of a simple'and reliable apparatus by which a comparativelyqlarge number of such stops` or additionaly sound producing devices can be. automaticallyl operated or v controlled without correspondlngly increasing the length of the'tracker and the width yof the music sheet, thusenlarging the scope of the instrument without unduly widening the music sheet. y y o v f f ,y

AIn the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the apparatus, partlyin'section. Fig. 2 is a verticalsection of the motor pneumatics of the stopslides and the rotary controlling valve. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the block or case with which said valve cooperates.' Fig.

.4 is a bottom plan view of the rotary valve Fig. 5 is a cross section of the slide-valve.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. a o

A indicates the tracker having the customary main ducts i a which control the piano strings or other principal sound producing parts, and'a, a2 indicate a pair of supplemental ducts which ycontrol a plurality of stops B, B1, the duct a1 serving to throw the stops on and 'the duct a2 to throw them ofi The `music sheet (not shown in the drawings) in addition to the y Specification of Letters Patent. y Application led December 26, 1911. Serial No. 667,800.

When such stops are used, for ex r'customary holes, has two rows vof suitably out holes which coperate with the ducts al, a2. l

Patented oet. 13, 1914.

Two stops, the Xylophoneand the violin, t

are shown in the drawings but ak greater' number may be employed, if desired, those illustrated in the drawings being showni only by way of example. I

b, b1 indicate the lusual slidesof registers ofr vthe sto s and C, C are motors or motorpneumatics which respectively actuate said slides. yThe latter are suitably connected with the movabler boards of these pneumatics .which tend to close the slides. Inthe example shown in the drawings the Outer ends;y

the ports e are adapted to beconnected soy vas to collapseor expand the. corresponding as shown in the drawings,` and these boards are` provided with ksprings cy p `motors C, C and throwv the stopsinto or i yout ofi action accordingly.

` The connection ofthe chamber `Eiwith` anyone of the ports e is effected by a switch device preferably consisting of a rotary y valve F mounted on a pin or screw fsecured centrally inl said gchamber. construction shown, this valve is in the form of aratchet disk provided on its underside with a radial port Or kgroove f1 of suiiicient length to register simultaneously with the upper ends of said chamber and one of the ports e, as shown by full lines in Fig.v2 and by dotted lines in Fig. 1. `For thispurpose all of the ports e terminateat the flattop of the block B which forms thel yseat of said valve. A spring f appliedto the screw f between its head andthe outerl side of the valve serves to press the latter vconstantlyagainst its seat, insuring a tight joint.

Fig. 2, itr will be observed` that in Fig. 1 rsixteen ports e are shown, making provision these v portsA being fewer in number t an While but two stops are illustrated iny `In the those of the outer row and arranged in radial alinement with some of them. Each of these additional ports is connected by a conduit Z1 with the motor of another stop, so that whenever the radial port f of the valve F is turned into register with two of such radially alined ports e, el, the two corresponding stops are simultaneously brought into action, while when said radial port is brought into register with any of the ports e having no companion port el only the single corresponding stop is thrown on.

H indicates a block or case containing a suction chamber it which is constantly connected by a passage 71.1 with a suction bellows or other exhaust device, not shown in the drawings. Leading from the top of the exhaust chamber ,t to the upper surface of the block H is a suction port z' and adjacent to this port is a second port l extending downwardly from the top of the block. The wind chamber El is connected with the last-named port by a tube or conduit 2. The top of the block H forms a valve seat to which is applied a valve J, preferably a slide-valve, provided in its underside with a longitudinal port or groove j of such length that when the valve is shifted to the right hand extremity of its stroke, said portl connects the two ports fz, 1, placing the chamber El in communication with the suction chamber z., while when the valve is shifted to the opposite extremity of its stroke, it cuts ofi'q communication between the suction chamber 7L and the chamber El and uncovers the port 1, opening the latter to the atmosphere, which under these conditions flushes the chamber El through the conduit i2, thus expanding the particular motor C which for the time being is in communication with the chamber El and throwing off the corresponding stop.

The slide valve J may be guided by any suitable means, the devices shown in the drawings consisting of pins L secured to the top of the block H and passing through longitudinal slots l in the valve. This valve is reciprocated by a pair of motors or motor pneumatics L, L1 secured to opposite sides of the block H, the movable boards of these pneiunatics closing in opposite directions and carrying arms Z, Z1, respectively, arranged to bear against opposite ends of said slide valve. These valve operating pneumatics are controlled by pneumatic actions or valve mechanisms M, M1 of any suitable construction which in turn are controlled by the ducts al, a2 of the tracker and corresponding performations vof the music sheet.' in practice, the devices M, M1 are built in the usual wind chest and form part or" the ordinary pneumatic action. Those shown in the drawings are of lconventional form, each comprising the Vl`usual valve chamber mi, suction chamber m1, and valves m2, m3, controlling the suction and flushing ports u, al, and actuated by the diaphragm o.

p, p1 are the tubes or conduits leading from the tracker chiots al, 0,2 to the chambers underneath the diaphragms 0.

1n the construction shown in the drawings, the valve F is intermittently rotated by a pawl g/ carried by the arm Z of the lefthand motor pneumatic L, which shifts the slide Yalve J to the position in which one or more of the stops are thrown into action. This pawl engages the teeth at the edge of the rotary valve, these teeth being so spaced that said valve is turned one step, or the distance between adjacent ports c thereof, for e'very stroke of the pawl.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: As shown in the drawings, the slide valve J is in its initial position in which the wind chamber El is in communication with the atmosphere through the uncovered port l and cut off from the suction chamber 7L. rlhe stop-operating motors C are therefore inflated and the stops are thrown off. `When one of the on perforations of the music sheet registers with the corresponding tracker duct al, the fiushing valve mi is closed and the suction valve m2 opened` connecting the motor pneumatic L with the suction chamber m1 and collapsing it. By this action, the slide valve J is shifted to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, connecting the chamber il with the suction chamber L. Simultaneously with this movement, the feed pawl g is moved forward and caused to turn the rotary valve F the distance of one tooth, thereby bringing the valve-port f1 into register with one or more of the ports e, el, as the case may be, and connecting the corresponding motor pneumatic C with the chamber El, which motor is thus collapsed and throws the stop on. The corresponding spring c is extended by this movement. As soon as said music-sheet perforation passes the tracker duct al, the motor pneumatic L is flushed and expanded in an obvious manner, withdrawingthe feed pawl gl to its initial position. The slide valve J however remains undisturbed and the stop-motor C therefore remains collapsed, keeping the stop on until an off perforation of the music sheet registers with the tracker duct a2. Vhen this occurs, the motor L] is collapsed and pushes the slide valve J to its original position, as shown by full lines in Fig. 1, cutting ott1 further communication between the chamber El and the suction chamber 7L. Atmosphere is now admitted to the chamber El through the port 1 and all the collapsed motor pneumatics C are inflated, shifting the stopslides to the closed position shown in the drawings and throwing off all the stops.-

This movement ofthe slidesl is effected*y partly bythe reaction of the springs c.

`shifted to they on position, thus bringing a l new stop or stops into action, and so on ythroughout theentire series ofk stop-operating 'devices controlled by the rotary valve. Heretoforer afpair ofjon and off tracker kducts and corresponding music-sheet perforations Were required foreach stop, rendering it impracticable to employ a large number of stops kon accountof unduly Widening themusic sheet. My improved apparatus, While permittingtheuse of a consid- `erable number of stops does not require a `2o separate pair of ysuch ducts for each stop but only .a single pair for controlling "all ofthe stops, leaving the ymusic sheet practically as narrow as an ordinary oney and insuring VLproper tracking.` t

lVhile thefimprovement is herein shown and describedin connection With stops, the same could obviously be used for operating for controllinga kplurality of Lother movable i parts of the instrument.

` I claim as my invention:

1. An apparatus for operating a plurality o of stops, comprising a motor pneumatics for controlling the stops, a Wind chamber, means for alternately exhausting and flushing said chamber, switching means for connecting one or more of said motor pneumatics With said Wind chamber, and means for controlling said switching means.

2. An apparatus for operating a plurality of stops, comprising motor pneumatics for e controlling the stops, a wind chamber, valve mechanism controlling the passage of the air to and from saidchamber, switch mechanism for connecting one or more of said motor pneumatics` With saidy Wind chamber, a tracker havinga pair of on and off ducts, and pneumatic actions cooperating with said tracker ducts and controlling said valve and switching mechanisms.

3. An apparatus for operating a plurality of stops comprising'motor pneumatics forcontrolling the stops, a Wind chamber,

lmeans for alternately exhausting and flushing said chamber, ya rotary switch-valve for connecting oneor more of said motor pneumatics Withsaidvvind chamber, and mean for actuating said valve.

4f. An apparatus for operating a plurality of stops comprisingy motor pneumatics for controlling the stops, a Wind chamber, means for alternately exhaustingand Hushing said chamber, a rotary switch-valve for connecting one or more of said motor pneumatics with said Windchamber, and pneumatic means for actuating said valve.

5. An apparatus for operating a plurality of stops, comprising a case containing a Wind chamber and a plurality of ports, a plurality ozt' motor pneumatics for controlling the stops respectively connected with said ports, and a rotary valve having a port arranged to connect one or more of the firstnamed ports with said wind chamber.

6. An apparatus for operating a plurality of stops, comprising a case containing a Wind chamber and a circular series of ports surrounding said chamber, a plurality'of.

stantly connected with said Wind chamber and arranged to traverse said circular seriesk of ports. e f' 7. An apparatus for operating af plurality `of stopspcomprising alcase containing a `Wind chamber and a plurality of ports, a y

plurality vof motor-pneumaticsfor controlling the stops respectively connected lwith said ports, a rotary valve having a port arranged ,to connect one or more of the firstnamed ports With said Wind chamber, and

motor-pneumatics for controllingv the stopsk v 'respectively connected with said ports, and a rotary disk-valve having a radial port conling the stops respectively connected with n' said ports, a rotary disk valve having ratchetteeth and a port arranged to connect one or more of the first-named ports with said Wind-chamber, a feed paWl engaging the teeth of the valve, and a pneumatic for actuating said pawl.

9. An apparatus for operating a plurality of stops, comprising a tracker having a pair of f on land off ducts, a corresponding kpair of motor pneumatics, means coperating with said ducts for controlling the passage of the air to and from said pneumatics, a case containing a suction chamber and a port adapted to communicate alternately With said chamberand the atmosphere, a valve controlling said port and operated by said pneumatics, a second case containing a Wind chamber and a series of stop-controlling ports, said wind chamberbeing connected With the port of the first-named case, a valve constructed to connect one or more of said stop-controlling ports with said Wind chamber and actuated by the motorpneumatic corresponding to said on duct, and stop-controlling motors connected With the last-named ports.

10. An apparatus for operating a plurality of stops, comprising a tracker having a pair of on and olf ducts, a corresponding pair of motor pneumatics, means cooperating with said ducts for controlling the passage of the air to and from said pneumatics, a case containing a suction chamber and a port adapted to communicate alternately With said cbainber and the atinospbere7 a valve controllingI said port and operated by said pneuniatics, asecond case containing a Wind chamber and a series of Stop-controlling ports, said Wind chamber being connected with the port of the firstnained case, a valve constructed to connect one or inore of said stop-controlling ports With Said Wind cliainber, ineans controlled by the pneumatic corresponding to said on duct for actuating the last-named valve, and stop-controllinzg,` inotors connected with the ports of the second-named case.

l1. An apparat-us for operating a plurality of stops, comprising a tracker having a pair of on and off ducts, a corresponding pair of inotor pneumatics, means cooperating with said ducts for controlling the passage of the air to and from said pneuinatics, a case containing a suction chamber and a port adapted to communicate alternately with Said chamber and the atmosphere, a slide valve controlling said port and reciprocated by said pneuniatics, a second case containing a Wind chamber and ay circular series of stop-controlling ports, said Wind cliainber being connected with the port of the first-named case, a rotary ratchet disk having a port arranged to connect one or inore or' said stop controlling ports With said wind chamber7 a feed paWl engaging said disk and actuated by said on pneu matic, and stop-controlling motors connected with the last-named ports.

vWitness niy hand this 11th day of December, 1911.

ROBERT HOPE-JONES.

Titnesses RALPH B. MURPHY, W. L. VooDrN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C. 

